We're TOP of the league and you're no....

Not a reference to the Accies but a wee reminder to County that there's only one team in the Highlands, regarding an ongoing post on CTO. Thanks Jailender, This could be long topic. Super result for County though, 0-3 at Killie

Inverness hopped onto the top of the table after disposing of Hamilton in a game that came alive in the second half. Accies opened the scoring in the first half when a deflected free kick wickedly wrong footed Dean Brill. Billy McKay restored parity before the break though. It all happened in the second 45 as the game opened up, thankfully, the first half had been somewhat scrappy. Garry Warren powered home from a corner kick and McKay added another (he sores when he wants) as Billy completed his double. I kid you not, James Vincent scored a goal and well done to him. Andreu tucked away both Accies  goals, the first via a huge deflection, the second Brill seemingly unsighted, the ball going under him.

Ginger Jaggy has a full report for you, read on..................

Lest we forget

It was a beautiful day for football in the highland capital on Saturday which helped produce an entertaining game between two teams flying high in the premiership.

The match itself was a slow burner but it rapidly burst into life in the second half with 4 goals being scored as Inverness climbed to the top of the table for 24 hours with a magnificent 4-2 win.

It was a poignant start to proceedings as the stadium stood to observe an impeccable minute silence on remembrance weekend as we remembered those brave men 100 years ago.

When the game did get started it was the home side that had the early opportunity as Caley Thistle looked to capitalise on some Hamilton misfortune.

The Accies defender looked comfortable as the ball came to him but slipped allowing Billy Mckay to run to the edge of the box before squaring to the waiting Greg Tansey who’s shot curled wide of the post. But it wasn’t long before the deadlock was broken.

Again an air of fortune as David Raven was punished for his foul just outside the box and Accies star man Tony Andreu fired the free kick into the bottom right hand corner with the help of a massive deflection of the head of the Scouse full back leaving Brill wrong footed and unable to do anything about it.

From that moment on Inverness took control and never looked back.

It didn’t take long for an equaliser to come and it was met with euphoria and a sense of relief all round.

Billy Mckay couldn’t stop scoring this time last season but this season he had just notched the one goal against the same opponents on the opening day. His goal was a sign that the Northern Ireland hit-man hadn’t lost any of his composure as he finished coolly into the left hand corner after a brilliant cross from Marley Watkins was taken down by a fantastic first touch.

The game drifted after that although Mckay almost had a second with a curling shot that narrowly bent wide of the far post.

Half Time 1-1

But if that was a tight first half, the second was open with end to end attacks and goals galore.

We took the lead just before the hour mark as a brilliant Greg Tansey corner found the head of Gary Warren who bulleted the ball into the corner to give us a deserved advantage..

Ten minutes later and it was like London Buses as Mckay who couldn’t buy a goal scored his second of the game. Where his first was exquisite this was a more routine tap in after a period of pressure on the Hamilton goal. Graeme Shinnie forced Michael McGovern into a decent save from a rasping thirty yarder that he parried wide for a corner. Although it was cleared the ball was lobbed back in with the impressive Watkins beating the offside trap but McGovern blocked at close range only to see it fall to the grateful little striker.

However, the Accies hit back five minutes later as Andreu fired a shot under the legs of Josh Meekings and the ball trickled over the line as an unsighted Brill failed to stop the ball squirming underneath him.

It was a minor set back, but we again opened up another two goal cushion, this time James Vincent getting his name on the score sheet for the first time this season. It was that man Watkins again who flicked a long ball into the path of the on running Vincent who ran in on goal and finished immaculately into the bottom corner.

The Lanarkshire club tried to press and force their way back into it but ended up giving space to the fresh pair of Doran and Christie who were late substitutes.

Full Time 4-2

     

In the end it was a comfortable victory for the home side and a brilliant performance over a team playing with confidence after a great start to the season. Great to see Mckay re-igniting his scoring duties with a poachers brace and he must want to play Accies every week. Gordon Strachan continues to ignore one of the best left wingback's in the country, but for how long? Another impressive display by our young captain. Solid display from our midfield again and our back line can consider themselves unfortunate to lose two goals today. Tansey needs to kick the habit of, well, kicking people. He was lucky to escape a booking as he lashed out which resulted in a minor flare up when he was lying on the deck. Naughty boy. James Vincent is another who can sleep well. He capped another decent display with a goal this time, well done that man.

Ginger Jaggy's MotM:- although I understand why Mckay was given the sponsors award, my MotM for the game was Marley Watkins who set up three goals and used his pace to run in behind and be a constant threat to the Hamilton backline.

 
 
Date: 08/11/14 Venue: Caledonian Stadium    Attendance: 3022
Referee: Willie Collum
 
Inverness CT: 4
Lineup: Brill, Raven, Warren, Meekings, Shinnie, Draper, Tansey, Vincent (Christie 86), Watkins, Williams (Doran 81), McKay

Booked: Tansey (71)
Sent Off: none
 
Hamilton: 2
Lineup: McGovern, Gordon, Devlin, Tena, Hendrie, Crawford, Routledge (Ryan 64), MacKinnon, Redmond (Imrie 52), Antoine-Curier (Scotland 82), Andreu

Booked: Mackinnon (71), Imrie (93)
Sent Off: none